Three hit-outs, three wins. The New Zealand machine is purring along nicely, and sceptics might say that’s exactly what you’d expect, reports CLINTON VAN DER BERG.
None of the Stormers, Sharks or Vodacom Bulls, well beaten at Loftus on Saturday night, were anywhere near full strength. More tellingly, none was at the peak of their season either.
New Zealand might be forgiven for being lulled into a false sense of primacy by results like this. Let’s hope they are because a Springbok side at full tilt is a different animal entirely, and the All Blacks will need every ounce of their class to live with it.
For now, though, this was a statement. The Bulls fell straight into the trap of trying to play a high-pace game against the masters of it, and paid the price.
REPORT: All Blacks bamboozle Bulls
Rieko Ioane was a menace all night, running hard and running straight, punishing every half-chance the Bulls left him. Captain Codie Taylor weighed in too, and set the tone for a big, composed performance. A bunch of others also mucked in, all looking to stake a Test claim.
What sets this All Blacks side apart is their ability to correct errors in flight. Drop the ball? No problem. Realign, reset, come again. It’s a ruthless kind of efficiency, the mark of a team that trusts its systems even under pressure.
Their scrum was a weapon too, even against a Bulls pack that prides itself on power. After a nervy opening, the All Blacks repelled everything the Bulls threw at them up front, standing toe to toe with a side built to dominate that exact battle.
The Bulls were gritty but had wretched luck. They created opportunities, yet two disallowed tries summed up their misfortune. Stravino Jacobs, though, will be able to regale his kids with the story of how he skinned Beauden Barrett on his way to scoring one of the Bulls’ three tries on a night when the animated Loftus crowd was in full voice.
Rudolph
Bosch
The Vodacom Bulls score a cracker
Stream #RugbysGreatestRivalry on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/3uVHB7PHIL
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 15, 2026
The Boks will be sharper and stronger at Ellis Park next Saturday, no question. But if this All Blacks pack can hold its own in the scrums, that alone may be enough to keep them in the fight.
The lesson for whoever faces them next: you cannot afford to be passive in defence. This All Blacks side feasts in space and is lethal moving the ball through the hands, as the Bulls discovered time and again.
ALSO: Bulls reveal new kit in All Blacks clash
Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
The post All Blacks show class, Bulls fall into pace trap appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Three hit-outs, three wins. The New Zealand machine is purring along nicely, and sceptics might say that’s exactly what you’d expect, reports CLINTON VAN DER BERG.
The post All Blacks show class, Bulls fall into pace trap appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
